The QuickBooks find feature is an extremely valuable search tool. The find function can help you quickly find transactions in QuickBooks when you only know some of the information regarding the transaction. Watch this QuickBooks tip video for a more in depth explanation of the QuickBooks find feature.
Accessing the find feature
There are several ways to access the QuickBooks find feature. First, you can go to Edit/Find. When you access the find feature this way you will notice the shortcut to the right of Edit/Find, which is Ctrl + F and the second way to access the find feature. I prefer to add the find feature to the QuickBooks icon bar because I use it so frequently. To add find to the icon bar you should customize the QuickBooks icon bar by right clicking on it and selecting customize icon bar. You then click ‘Add’ and scroll down to Find transactions and click ok. Now you will be able to quickly access the find feature from you icon bar in case you can’t remember the other ways to access it.
Using the find feature
Once you have accessed the find feature you will see two tabs called simple and advanced. The simple find will let you search by transaction type, customer:job, date, invoice # and amount. The Advanced tab will let you search in more in depth ways. Maybe you only know the amount or date range of the transaction you are looking for, but not the transaction type. In this scenario you most likely will have to use an advanced search.
Searching by amount
I feel that it is worth pointing out how I find myself using typically using the find feature. More often than not I do an advanced search by amount. It is a great way to locate transactions when you know the exact amount or amount range as you often do in bookkeeping.
The find feature is a great tool to add to your QuickBooks arsenal. It will boost your efficiency and reduce your time spent searching for items. You should experiment and play around with the QuickBooks find feature to see how you can make it most valuable to you.
